They only played an abbreviated season, but nonetheless, the three Staten Island teams that played CHSAA girls’ soccer Tier 1 were among the most competitive in the eight-team, city-wide division.
And where there’s good teams, there’s certainly good players. The Island, of course, had a number of booters that turned in strong performances in 2020.
Some filled the stat sheets time and again while others did a lot of the dirty work that might go unnoticed. Some did a little of both.
But which player was the most productive during this shortened season? Which players, in essence, was the Most Valuable Player of the 2020 campaign?
The Advance/SILive.com got to see a fair share of games this fall and came up with a list of eight candidates that are worthy of consideration for MVP. There is certainly a number of other players that performed well this year, but the following are eight were the cream of the crop, so to speak, in 2020.
The list is in alphabetical order. To vote, please scroll to the bottom.
Natalie Bala (St. Joseph Hill) ... The sophomore, who played her first season of varsity season this year, led the Island in goals with five. When she wasn’t producing a bunch of opportunities, she was setting up teammates for scores behind solid dribbling skills and a relentless pursuit of the ball.
Julia Dulligan (Notre Dame Academy) ... Although the Gators finished with a 1-5 record in league play, they were in every game and lost four games by a goal, including a pair of 1-0 decisions to undefeated St. Joseph Hill. One of the reasons why NDA was in every game was because of the play of Dulligan, who played superbly in net. The senior not only made a number of terrific saves, but she was active in the box and often grabbed loose balls before a shot could be taken.
Julianna Ryan (St. Joseph by-the-Sea) ... The senior center midfielder was a jack-of-all-trades that did a little bit of everything for the Vikings before she suffered a season-ending ankle injury late in the year. Whether she was delivering booming free kicks, scoring a goal here or there or helping out in her own end, Ryan usually made her presence felt.
Maitri Sivapatham (Notre Dame Academy) ... The sophomore center back was steady as a rock in the Gators’ own end, often breaking up plays before they developed and dribbling her was out of harm’s way when the situation called for it. She also joined the attack, when necessary, and delivered several free kicks that aided NDA’s attack.
Jamie Strahm (St. Joseph by-the-Sea) ... The Vikings’ center back was rarely, if ever, caught out of position and more often than not cleared Sea’s zone with booming kicks. She often delivered heady play while in possession of the ball.
Charlotte Tama (St. Joseph Hill) ... The freshman fullback made a successful high school debut with heady play that always put her in position to break up plays. She also possessed solid dribbling skills that enabled her to free herself out of danger.
Victoria Terranova (St. Joseph Hill) ... The sophomore center back was a driving force in a defense that allowed just one goal the entire season. Terranova, who was superb in moving the ball, constantly denied the opposition scoring opportunities and aided the Hilltoppers’ attack by quickly sending the ball in the other direction. On more than one occasion she was called upon to take a direct kick and found the back of the net.
Sabina Vukovic (St. Joseph Hill) ... The hard-nosed sophomore was a force in the midfield for the Hilltoppers as she constantly won 50-50 balls and moved the ball upfield with solid dribbling skills and on-point kicks ... She too contributed a little of everything and was capable of scoring or setting up teammates.
A poll will run from 9 p.m. Tuesday until noon Saturday. You may vote as often as you wish.
So who’s it going to be? Who had the most productive season en route to being the 2020 CHSAA girls’ soccer Tier 1 MVP?
Please, cast a vote!
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